For the second year in a row, Kathleen Baudendistel earned first-place honors in her division at the annual Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition held Nov. 7-8 at Viterbo University in La Crosse.
Baudendistel, of Farmersville, Ohio, won the sophomore women’s division after winning the freshman women’s division last year. Elizabeth Burmeister of Chicago, placed second in the same division. Baudendistel and Burmeister are students in the voice studios of Ken Bozeman, Frank C. Shattuck Professor of Music, and Joanne Bozeman, instructor of music, respectively.
Six of Lawrence’s 23 entries advanced to the finals in the competition, which drew nearly 400 singers from around the state. First-place finishers receive $150, while second- and third-place finishers received $125 and $100, respectively.
The NATS competition features 22 separate divisions grouped by gender and level. Depending upon the category, competitors are required to sing two, three or four classical pieces from different time periods with at least one selection sung in a foreign language.
Lawrence place winners with their category and (teacher) include:
First–Place Honors
• Kathleen Baudendistel, sophomore women (Ken Bozeman)
Second–Place Honors
• Elizabeth Burmeister, sophomore women (Joanne Bozeman)
Third–Place Honors
• Benjamin Klein, freshman men (Steven Paul Spears)
• Demetra Hellwig, junior women (Joanne Bozeman)
• Jacob Meyer, junior men (3rd) John Gates
Fourth–Place Honors
• Clio Briggs, freshman women (Karen Leigh-Post)
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.
